The invention relates to a handle for a medical instrument.
A handle of a medical instrument is usually to be understood as the part of the instrument by which the instrument is manually held and led by a grip part arranged there and on which one or more actuation elements are arranged for carrying out the functions which can be executed with the instrument.
Apart from handles, with whose actuation elements respectively only one function of a medical instrument can be carried out, a medical instrument having a handle is known from German published patent application DE 10 2009 051 515 A1 (counterpart: US patent application publication 2011/0106143 A1), with which several functions can be carried out with one actuation element. This instrument comprises a shank which is arranged on the proximal side of the handle and which is rotatable about its longitudinal axis. A tool which is rotatable relative to the shank is arranged at the distal end of the shank. The handle comprises an actuation element in the form of a rotation wheel, with which on the one hand the shank can be rotated and on the other hand the tool can be rotated relative to the shank. For this, the rotation wheel is axially displaceable in the handle into two functional positions, wherein in a first functional position it is coupled in movement to the shank which can then be rotated by a rotation of the rotation wheel, and in a second functional position it is coupled in movement to the tool which in this functional position can be rotated relative to the shank by rotating the rotation wheel.
The handle of the instrument known from DE 10 2009 051 515 A1 represents a significant improvement compared to handles with whose actuation elements only one function can be carried out in each case, wherein this handle however still does not represent the best possible solution from an ergonomic point of view.